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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

If you have been to Penang in the last two years, you would have noticed some street art in the form of steel sculptures. These steel rod sculptures featuring caricatures are Georgetown UNESCO World Heritage Site's latest tourist attraction.

Located in various parts of the city of Georgetown, these 24 witty sculptures have been attracting both foreign and local tourists alike. People have been flocking to photograph these steel sculptures that have a story behind every one of them. They each denote a trade or way of life from a past era. A short description accompanies every sculpture. A lot of research has been put in to ensure that the sculptures are based on historical facts.

Yes, there is even a sculpture for Jimmy Choo, the world-renowned shoe designer who started his apprenticeship in shoe making at the shoe store, Hong Kong Shoe Store, located at Munstri Street. Thus the Jimmy Choo steel rod sculpture is installed here on Munstri Street.

Sculpture At Work is the brainchild of this project and contributors include local talented artists including Baba Chuah, Lefty Julian Kam, Reggie Lee and Tan Mun Kian.

Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, launched the sculpture project yesterday. Lim appealed to the public and tourists posing for pictures by these artworks not to touch or vandalise the sculptures.

The following are the steel sculptures installed since October 2010 under phases one, two, three and four. This is an ongoing project, so there will more being installed around the island.